Paying Back
by Lauren Wagner
Summary: The reason why the boy was hanged was because he helped two pirates escape...


Ragetti was lost.

Not only was he lost, but he was lost in Port Royal; the place where he and Pintel were scheduled to be hanged the next day.

Biting his lower lip, he whimpered and wrung his hands as he looked around, keeping to the shadows of the buildings as best as he could whenever he heard someone walking close to where he was.

_Pinters is goin' ta be so mad a' me fer gittin' los' loik this!_ He thought helplessly, rubbing at his wooden eye worriedly as a small group of soldiers marched by.

He hadn't meant to get lost; it had just happened while they were rushing out of the prison, the dog with the keys following after them happily. Ragetti had tripped and fallen, losing his eye for a moment and crying out.

That cry was what alerted the guards to their escape and before he could think straight, Pintel shouted for him to run and he did so as fast as he could.

When he finally stopped behind a building to catch his breath, he realized that Pintel and the dog were not with him.

"God, I'm really sorry fer wot me an' Pinters done in the pas'." He whispered softly, wandering down the alleyways without any real direction except for the sea. "Bu' I promise ta change an' 'elp git 'im ta change if'n ye don' le' me 'ang!" he swore, looking up at the sky as if to prove his point, crossing himself with a trembling hand.

"Barbossa is goin' ta be mad if'n I die…" he whispered to himself, his hand flying to the wooden eye at once as old and horrible memories came up.

"Where are you going?"

Yelping, Ragetti covered his head with his arms, falling to his knees and starting to ramble helplessly.

"Don'killmeIjus'wan'tagobacktatheseaan'Iwon'evacomeback!"

"You don't have to be scared. You're a pirate right? From the Black Pearl?"

Gasping in surprise, Ragetti opened his eye and he looked up, finding himself kneeling in front of a dirty looking ten year old boy.

The boy smiled down at him and shrugged a bit.

"My mum says that the pirates of the Black Pearl were cursed, and that's what drove them to acting insane." He offered. "She says you can't really be blamed for your actions."

"I reckon yer mum is a righ' saint she is." Ragetti said softly, slowly lowering his hands to his sides. "I suppose yer o' the same notion then?" he ventured.

"If you're looking for the docks, you're headed the wrong way." The boy said simply. "I can show you a safer way to get out of here."

Standing up shakily, Ragetti bit his lower lip.

"Me matelot…I los' 'im when we ran an'…"

"Is he short and bald? With a curved scar above one eye? Has the dog with the keys following him around?"

Ragetti blinked in surprise.

"'ow did ye..?"

"I led him to a fishing boat and told him to go, but he refused. He said that he had to find his matelot who was stupid enough to run the wrong way." The boy explained with a faint smile. "He said that you couldn't find your way out of a barrel of rum without a map and a guide."

"Pint always was good wi' words ta describe me." Ragetti said with a smile, rubbing the back of his head shyly.

The boy smiled and laughed, shaking his head as he turned and led the way.

…

When they snuck onto the abandoned piece of beach where the boat was, Ragetti smiled when he saw Pintel waiting for him, a scowl on his face as he sat in the boat with his arms crossed over his chest, the dog wagging his tail excitedly.

"Tortuga shouldn't be too far away as long as you keep heading west." The boy offered him, pointing in the right direction.

Ragetti smiled and nodded, giving Pintel a wave.

"'urry up ye bloody one-eyed son o' a whore! If'n those red coats show up, I aint savin' yer arse!" Pintel shouted at him, fighting to stay angry with the lad.

"I loves ye ta, Pint!" Ragetti called, smiling down at the boy and resting his hands on his hips.

"Wot's yer name, lad?" he asked.

"Alair." The boy answered, frowning slightly in confusion as Ragetti began digging in his jacket pockets, the tip of his tongue poking out of his mouth a bit in concentration.

He soon produced a single piece of eight coin and he smiled as he gave it to Alair.

"Ye done 'elped me an' Pinters git away from the noose. In the Code, tha' means we 'ave ta offer our 'elp ta yer!" he explained as he knelt down a bit. "Naow if yer eva in trouble…ye jus' sing this song…"

"Wot took yer so bloody long?" Pintel demanded as Ragetti pushed the boat into the water and hopped in.

"I 'ad ta teach 'im the song."

"Ye taugh' 'im 'oist the Colours?" Pintel asked in surprise.

"Et's in the Code, Pint. We ar' bound ta 'elp 'im an' 'is mum."

Snorting softly, Pintel rolled his eyes and he started to row.

"Bloody git…"

As he faced the noose for helping two condemned pirates escape their just punishment; Alair was the first to sing Hoist the Colours and when Barbossa heard the song sung through a piece of eight, he held the coin to Ragetti's ear.

"Listen to the loudest voice singing, lad." He offered; a moment of compassion coming to him as Ragetti's face became sad.

"Et's the boy wot saved me an' Pinters." Ragetti said. "Is 'e..?"

"Beckett hanged him."

Ragetti winced and looked down at the ground sadly and Barbossa looked skyward before resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Do you know how ye can make it up to him?" he asked.

"No…"

"By helping me release Calypso. She's our key to destroying the East Indian Trading Company!"

"Aye?"

"Aye."

Sniffling softly, Ragetti nodded as he wiped his nose on his sleeve.

"Fer Alair?" he asked.

"Sure. Now get back to swabbing the deck."


End file.
